Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) was hopeful that the results of the next election will not end in violence.
DeSantis appeared Sunday on Face the Nation to react to a poll conducted by CBS that found about half of the over 2,000 voters surveyed believed "there will be violence over losses" in future presidential elections. The poll was conducted in the days leading up to the third anniversary of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
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"I hope not," DeSantis responded to the poll. "I think if we’re relitigating the past elections, if it’s about Donald Trump or his legal issues, or criminal trials, or all that stuff, you know, I think it’s going to be a really nasty election. I don’t think that puts Republicans in a good position to win. So, we need to have an election on the issues. We need a candidate that can win a clear-cut victory and look forward."
"I hope not," @RonDeSantis says in response to CBS News polling that shows half of Americans expect violence from the side that loses future elections. He says the 2024 race will be "a really nasty election" if it's about "re-litigating the past elections." pic.twitter.com/TEAFlpKkf8
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) January 7, 2024
The years following Jan. 6 have seen thousands of criminal charges and convictions against those involved in the riots. DeSantis's opponent, Vivek Ramaswamy, has made a campaign promise to pardon the peaceful protesters.
DeSantis, Ramaswamy, and Nikki Haley have promised to pardon Donald Trump should either of them win. The former president has some 91 charges pending against him, among them allegations that he incited the riots in 2021 and attempted to overturn the 2020 election results. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Fellow Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie has committed, if elected, not to pardon Trump should he be found guilty.
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Currently, DeSantis, Trump, and Haley have qualified for the next presidential debate in Iowa on Jan. 10, just days before the state's caucus on Jan. 15, which is the first in the nation. Trump has plans to hold a town hall in Iowa the same night of the debate rather than participate in the CNN-run event.
According to CBS projections discussed Sunday, DeSantis is polling second in Iowa, behind Trump.